


I Am Me

by KROWRIM



Category: Courage the Cowardly Dog, Dexter's Laboratory, Ed Edd n Eddy, Foster's Home For Imaginary Friends, Grim Adventures of Billy & Mandy, Powerpuff Girls, Samurai Jack (Cartoon), Sym-Bionic Titan
Genre: Abandonment, Action, Alternate Universe - Modern: Still Have Powers, Angst, Arcs, Comedy, Crime Fighting, F/M, High School, Implied Sexual Content, Romance, Underage Drinking, Vigilantism
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-10
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2021-01-27 00:37:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21383215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KROWRIM/pseuds/KROWRIM
Summary: After the Rowdy Rough Boys were reformed and worked for the side of good, Professor Utonium convinced them to join the X-Team alongside his daughters. 7 years later after a battle left Townsville in ruins and many dead, Butch quit the team and vanished without a trace. Now, two years after his disappearance, the X-Team search for their missing member. A search that leads them to the city of Seattle.
Relationships: Ashi/Samurai Jack, Billy/Mandy (Billy & Mandy), Boomer/Bubbles Utonium, Brick/Blossom Utonium, Butch/Buttercup Utonium, Butch/Ilana
Comments: 6
Kudos: 10





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, let's see how this goes.

At the age of 8, the former villains known as the Rowdy Ruff Boys joined their female counter parts in a everlasting battle against evil. The six of them formed the X-Team, an unstoppable force of nature that rid their home of evil time and time again. From lowlife sum robbing a bank to a monster attacking the entire city. No matter what came their way, they were in it together. At least, they were. Butch was the middle boy between his older brother Brick and his younger brother Boomer. He was the "tough" one who always loved a good fight. This was true, he could never turn down a challenge, especially if it was from Buttercup. They would be something small to who could cook better pancakes or who could clean their room the fastest to more competitive challenges such as who could fly the fastest or who could lift the most. This was the foundation of their relationship and he enjoyed the hell out of it.

He would always poke fun at either Bubbles or Boomer for their childlike behavior but always found himself pulled into their schemes or games. He just enjoyed spending time with his brother when they weren't out on missions. The Professor had noted that since they'd gone straight, they have been much more calm and well mannered. Brick, for example, was the team's tactical adviser for Blossom who was seen as the leader. Boomer helped greatly with recon missions along with Bubbles and they were surprising good at them. Finally, Butch and Buttercup were the heavy hitters, and they were only getting stronger. By the age of 13, they were traveling the world on missions. Saving Tokyo from a kanji, protecting Paris from a evil mime, even fighting man eating spiders in Australia. They were more than a team however. They were a family.

Or so Butch thought.

At the age of 14 he began to realize that, besides the team, he had nothing going for him. Everyone at school knew he was with the X-Team and that he had powers but he didn't have any real friends. He couldn't play sports due to his powers and he felt like people feared him rather than actually liked him. Then again, his past didn't help all that much. He felt a yearning for true friendship and the challenges with Buttercup had began to feel dull and boring. His brothers were no help either. They were fully invested in the team. They were desperate to prove that they have changed and that they truly fight for good. Butch was happy for them, just not himself. He tried out new hobbies such as skating or painting. None of them really stuck since he would never really have time to do anything before being thrown into another mission.

Fighting began to loose all effect on him. He didn't feel the rush of excitement or joy from it any more. How could he? He knew he was going to win. Buttercup would still get excited fighting a new enemy and would try to get him pumped but it didn't work. His life became an endless cycle of fighting and school. Fighting and school. Fighting and school. Fighting and school. On and on and on and on. He could bear through it though. He was a Rowdy Ruff Boy and he could survive this. But, not alone. Since they had become teens, he noticed that everyone on Team-X was distant to each other outside of home or "work". Blossom focused on her school work, Bubbles was now the president of drama club, Boomer was a student council member, Brick was always in the basement with the professor working on some weird gadget or something, and Buttercup was always out doing whatever she damn well pleased. Where did that leave Butch? Well, he was at home. Waiting for the next fight. He was the heavy hitter after all. He needed to be ready.

At the age of 15, everything changed. A monster attacked. This time, things were rough. They had grown soft fighting weaklings but now, the mama attacked. It took everything they had to stop it. Most of Townsville was reduced to rubble. Many people died. Many innocent people died. Butch stood in the middle of ground zero as he tried to gather himself. All around him was carnage. The place he called home was now destroyed. They would rebuild easily in a week but, those who died would not come back. Suddenly, he heard something. A cry for help. He rushed as fast as he could to find the source of the voice. It was a child. It was a fucking child. He used what was left of his strength to pull away the rubble to find them. He had to. He had to save them. When he finally found them he felt his stomach drop. How the little girl was still alive was a miracle. Her lower half was nothing more than a pile of blood and bone. She was crying desperately for help but he knew there was nothing that could be done. Instead, he held her. She told him her name, Mary, and that she was their biggest fan. She handed him something she had made for him in her class. She was going to mail it to him after she had finished the others. It wasn't long before he heard her heart go silent. The only sound that could be heard, was him weeping.

He found himself in the downtown area, also destroyed, in a place he recalled seeing a few times flying. The McCracken. No one was around and he found some bottles that were somehow speared from all the destruction. He was on his third one now. He sat there in the dark as he slowly sipped on the clear bottle of Jack Daniels. He had his phone playing music, some jazz station or something. He wasn't paying it much mind. He just needed to forget what he had just seen. The horrors that the day had brought. The sun had set some time ago but he din't care. In the end, that's what it came down to. He didn't care. He didn't care at all. He knew he couldn't keep doing this. The fighting, the fake smiles, the death, the destruction, the loneliness. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care enough to look up when he heard two pairs of footsteps land from the hole in the roof.

Buttercup and Brick walked over to him to talk before seeing the bottle he was holding and the dried tears in his eyes. Brick was concern. He had never seen his brother like this before. Buttercup reached over to get his attention but he just shrugged them off. He finished his bottle and tossed it behind him, letting it shatter on the wooden floor. He reached for another only to be stopped by Buttercup.

"What's up with you? Why are you so bummed out? We won." She questioned.

At what cost? The city was damn near destroyed and hundreds possibly thousands lost their lives. Butch didn't answer. He just grabbed the bottle and popped it open. Brick smacked the bottle away finally getting a reaction from his brother.

"You know what that crap does to your body. Are you trying to die?" He asked with some annoyance in his voice.

Butch just shook his head before placing it into his hands. Buttercup and Brick just looked at each other. Something was definitely wrong, they just didn't know what to do. Thankfully, The three who would came at that time.

"There you are Butch. You went radio silent three hours ago. We were getting worried." Blossom said relieved as she landed along with Bubbles and Boomer.

"Yeah man. The professor has been looking for you. He wanted to say congratulations or whatever." Boomer said looking around the room.

Butch let out an unintentional laugh. Buttercup raised an eyebrow as she watched her teammate stand up and stumble over to where the bottle had landed before. He picked it up and lifted it to the sky as a wide smile came over his face.

"Congratulations everyone! The day is save thanks to the X-Team! I mean, only a couple people died and the town is pretty much none existent but, good for us." He sarcastically cheered.

Everyone watched as he took a drink before lowering it back down and staring at the bottle.

"What a fucking joke." He mumbled before throwing it to the floor for it to shatter.

Everyone flinched at the action but Butch just leaned against the wall in an attempt to stand up. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something odd. It looked like a homemade bracelet but it was broken leaving just the string and a few beads. He held it in front of his face for everyone to see.

"You know what this is?" He asked now calm.

"Butch.." Brick was interrupted.

"Do you know what this is?!" Butch asked again with a bit more force.

The room was silent before Bubbles spoke up.

"A bracelet." She answered.

Butch's sarcastic smile returned.

"Ding ding ding. You're correct. Anyone want to know where I got it?"

Once again no one answered. Butch turned it around so everyone could see what it was exactly. It was a bracelet, a green one, with his name on it. Everyone was confused.

"Any guesses? Anyone?" He asked once more.

No one responded. Butch just chuckled as he looked at it himself.

"Her name was Mary. She was our biggest fan. Was going to make one of these for all of us but I guess I was her favorite since she only had mine done. You won't be getting yours. You know why? She's dead. She's fucking dead!" He said as he threw a table out the window in anger. "And we're the ones responsible!"

Everyone was in shock. They knew there were casualties, there always were, but they never had the time to look into any of them. Butch just lowered his head and walked towards the door.

"Where're you going?" Brick asked.

Butch didn't look back. He honestly didn't know. Where could he go?

"Butch?" Buttercup called to him as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

He pulled away as soon as he felt it and kicked the door open. Buttercup followed quickly.

"Butch!"

"GET AWAY FROM ME!"

Buttercup stopped dead in her tracks. Everyone came rushing out at his outburst. He had never yelled before. Butch stared at all of them before shaking his head.

"I'm done. I quit." He decided.

Blossom and Brick stepped up.

"What do you mean you quit?" Blossom asked.

"You can't just quit dude. We need you around." Brick tried to convince him.

Butch lifted his arms up and spun around.

"Look around you Brick! If anything, life here would be easier with one less super powered teen running around! Yeah, Townsville is doing SOO great with me around."

"There's no need to be a dick Butch." Boomer spoke up.

Butch shook his head.

"Not a dick Boom. Just being realistic here. I'm not going to keep being responsible for this. Not for all the pain and death and destruction. I'm done." He declared once and for all.

He turned away but was met with a painful blow to the head which caused him to stumble forward and trip over himself. Everyone looked to Brick to was clinching his fist.

"Stop being so selfish! The town needs us! If we turn our backs on it we're no better than those villains who would do way worse!" He lectured.

Butch rolled to his back and laid against a nearby piece of a building. He spat some blood out and laughed.

"You know what they say, once a villain..."

Brick was suddenly thrown across the street by a heat blast from Butch.

"Always a villain."

Butch stood up as everyone got into a fighting stance. He looked at his former comrades and felt his heart break for the last time that day. Their faces were not ones of sympathy or even empathy. They saw an enemy at that moment, not a friend. He was so tired of fake friends. So tired of being a X child. So tired of everything. Boomer leaped forward but Butch just side stepped before delivering an elbow to his brother's back which sent him to the floor.

He knew no one had much strength left. That battle left them physically tired. Everyone was in pain but unlike them, he could turn that pain into strength. It wasn't much but, it was more than they had. Bubbles was next but she was easily thrown to the side. When Butch flung her to his right he felt something pop out of place but he chose to ignore the pain. It couldn't possibly be worse than what Mary felt. Blossom and Buttercup came at him at the same time but Butch was ready. He had seen this move time and time again.

He grabbed Blossom's wrist and swung her into Buttercup which allowed him to throw them both away from him. He looked around and saw that no one had the energy to fight. Him included. He simply began to float as everyone watched.

"Goodbye." He coldly said.

They weren't his family. They haven't been since he was 13. As far as he was concerned, they were non existent. And now, so was he. He doesn't remember most of the flight but he recalled landing in some forest up north. He remembered starting a camp fire to keep warm and eating some peanuts he had snatched from the bar. He was staring into the flames and he felt the tiredness finally take over him. He closed his eyes and slept.

All he had were nightmares. The battle, Mary, the fight. Everything replayed over and over. He was just too tired to wake up. When he did, the sun had risen and the fire was nothing more than ash and smoke. He was once again, alone. At least, he thought. He heard someone walking towards him. He didn't know who it was and honestly he didn't care. The footsteps finally stopped in front of him. He looked up to see a man standing there. He was dressed for hiking. Cargo shorts, baby blue shirt, brown vest, tan bucket hat, and a backpack filled with hiking supplies no doubt.

"Well, won't you look at what we found." The man smiled.

Butch would normally shot back some smart-ass comment or joke but he couldn't find it in himself to. The man smiled even wider as he was engulfed in red mist. Butch stood up suddenly. He recognized that mist. It was HIM. The lobster handed, pink, cross dressing demon himself.

"What are you doing here?!" Butch asked as he got ready to fight.

HIM hasn't been seen in years. 5 years to be exact. Butch was 10 when HIM finally gave up and disappeared. Everyone waited for him to return but he never did. They celebrated it but it was always in the back of everyone's mind. Now here he was. Standing right before him. The only difference is that HIM's hair was slightly longer and his skin seemed more human. He had that stupid smile on his face as well. It was then that Butch suddenly felt fear. He was alone, away from everyone in front of the strongest enemy he has ever faced. He was standing face to face with his own father.

"Calm down there Butch. I'm not here to fight." HIM stated as he walked around and looked at the fire.

Butch relaxed but kept his guard up. He eyed HIM as he took out a bottle of water and poured it onto the ashes before throwing dirt onto it.

"You have to make sure you put these things out or else a wild fire could break out." HIM laughed.

Butch was now confused rather than scared.

"So, where are your brothers and those Power Puff Runts?" HIM suddenly asked.

Butch sat down on a nearby log and shrugged.

"No clue. I don't run with them anymore. I'm on my own." He explained.

HIM raised an eyebrow.

"Since when?"

"Last night."

HIM was generally surprised.

"So where are you staying then? What are your plans?" HIM asked.

Butch took a moment to think about it. He had no idea. He didn't think it through. He just left in the heat of the moment. He knew that everyone back home was probably thinking he'll go back eventually but in reality, he never wanted to return. That, he was sure of. That being said, he really didn't know where to go.

"You could stay with me if you'd like."

Butch looked up at the pink demon who was still smiling. Butch narrowed his eyes as if he was looking for something before shaking his head.

"No way. I don't do evil anymore..."

"Neither do I."

Butch looked surprised.

"What do you mean? You're a demon from hell. Hell, you might actually be Satan for all I know."

HIM took a seat next to Butch and threw an arm around the boy.

"You see my son, after that team defeated me 5 years ago, I rethought my life. I took a step back and looked at the world before I realized, I don't want it. Seriously, humans destroy everything. So I gave up on evil and pursued my new passion!" HIM said as he stood up in a dramatic fashion.

"Your new passion?" Butch asked suspiciously.

"I'm a choir teacher!"

The forest was filled with silence before Butch dropped his head.

"Those poor kids." He mumbled.

"I heard that. And for the record, my angels have won 5 state championships in a row along with placing first in national competitions and traveling the world to preform."

Butch seemed to be impressed. Maybe, his father really did turn over a new leave. Honestly it wasn't like he had many options either. The money he had with him would get him through two days if he was lucky. He really didn't have a place to stay either. This could be a chance to make his life his own. He stood up and turned to HIM.

"If you don't try to use me for evil and aren't planning on taking over the world, i think i'll stay with you." He decided.

HIM's smile grew even more. He was so happy for this second chance. Butch reached his hand out for HIM to shake it but instead was pulled into a hug.

"I swear i'll be the father I never was!"

The two parted and HIM picked up his bag before turning back to the boy.

"Let's go." He declared.

Butch smiled a bit before following behind his father.

"So where do you live?" Butch asked.

"The greatest city in the world. Seattle, Washington."


	2. Chapter 1: Kirk Myers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk enters his senior year of High School.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just throwing out one after another.

Morning was always rough. A good dream that you didn't want to leave, a soft warm bed you never wanted to part with, and the nice silence that filled the room. Atlas, all good things must come to an end. In this case it was Kirk's father who entered the room and threatened to eat the pancakes he had made for the first day of school. Kirk quickly jumped out of bed and rushed through his morning routine. He ran to bathroom to take a quick shower while brushing his teeth. He then did his hair and shaved whatever was on his chin while a blue towel was wrapped around his waist. His hair was the easiest thing to do. It was already a crew cut + high fade. He admired his work before rushing back to his room where he got dressed. Some tan pants, grey chucks, a white undershirt, and a yellow sweater. As he put his watch on he looked at himself in the mirror. His blue eyes just seemed to glow when he wore yellow. His light brown hair also shined in the sunlight. His name is Kirk Myers, and he was ready to take on the day.

"KIRK!"

He jumped at the voice before rushing down the stairs to greet his father who was in the kitchen finishing up breakfast. Kirk's eyes scanned the table to see the pancakes. Along with bacon, toast, eggs, and sausages. Kirk laughed a bit before sitting down and making himself a plate. His father placed down another plate of pancakes for him. His father was wearing a light blue dress shirt, brown khakis, black dress shoes, and a pink apron with hearts that Kirk had bought him a while back for his birthday. His dad's beard was freshly cut leaving a hipster style handlebar mustache look.

"You defiantly look like a teacher." Kirk commented offhandedly.

"And you look as handsome as ever." His dad said in a baby voice as he planted kisses on his son's head.

"Watch the hair!"

His father laughed and began to eat his food while Kirk ate his own. It was yet another beautiful morning in the Myers's home. A single father with his almost adult son. The two were close indeed. Neighbors would often comment on the fact that they were always reliable. They never went back on their word and they would often go out of their way to check in on the older residents and were always active in the community. Kirk was always seen at his father's performances when he would play shows with his band while his father was always at the art exhibit that showcases his son's work. They hardly ever fought and when they did they would settle it in a manner of minutes. Not a single soul on the block hated the two, they were loved by all. Mr. Myers was a teacher at Loew High. He was beloved by students and staff for his upbeat and positive attitude. If anyone was having a problem, he was the person to talk to.

Likewise, Kirk Myers was a perfect student. Perfect grades across the board and always active in his class activities. It was hard to not get along with the handsome young man. He is the current president for the Art club thanks to dedication and talent that he himself had no idea about. Girls fell for him and guys wanted to be friends with him. Voted as the school's heart throb since sophomore year. He has his own group of friends but wouldn't ever shy away from others who would seem to be struggling in class or in their personal life. He was homecoming prince his sophomore year and king his junior along with being prom king as well. Things couldn't be better for the two.

"So, you have any special plans after school?" Mr. Myers asked.

Kirk thought about it. He did as a matter of fact.

"Me, Jack, and Mac are meeting up at the Flapjack. Celebrating on being seniors." Kirk explained.

Mr. Myers smiled.

"I do enjoy those two. You should bring them around more often. Are Billy and Mandy going as well?"

Kirk shook his head.

"They're still on vacation. Won't be back for another week." Kirk recalled.

Kirk thought back on his friends. Jack was a boy older by a few months. He only spoke Japanese when he first showed up but he caught on English pretty well over sophomore year so he could speak it well enough. Due to him transferring in the second year of high school and not being able to speak English, he was a bit of a social outcast before Kirk introduced himself. Since he was new himself, he figured he could be friends with him. The two got along great thanks to Kirk knowing enough Japanese to talk to Jack and now the two are best friends. Jack is the president of the Japanese culture club which has since grown in numbers which made Jack proud. Kirk then thought to his other friend, Mac. The boy who was the youngest of the three has lived here since he was 6. He never really socialized with others for some unknown reason. He often times drew in his notebook or played with his dog, Bloo. He was a sweet kid but he was shy as it turns out. Kirk remembered he had to drag him to the art club and spent an entire month convincing him to join. He's now vice president.

Then there was Billy and Mandy. Billy was, different. He was a bit slow but he was a good kid. Hell, some of their best ideas came from him. If things seemed to get boring, he was the one to pick it back up. Mandy was the exact opposite. While she was arguably smarter than Kirk, she was quite the downer when she really wanted to be. She didn't care for others like Billy but she was loyal to her friends. Of course you couldn't forget the Eds. Ed, Edd, and Eddy. Weird names and even weirder that they've been friends since they were 4. From the outside you would think they were brothers but really they just happen to have similar names and are always together. They always had a scheme cooking. Together the three founded the Jawbreakers club where they would eat/test various jawbreakers. Really it was just an excuse to eat jawbreakers.

Yeah they were an odd bunch but they were friends. They were close enough to hang out, travel, and such with each other. They were more of a family truthfully. Kirk was snapped out of his thoughts when the news began a report that made his eyes roll.

"X-team has defeated yet another villain this morning."

Mr. Myers turned the TV off and got Kirk's attention.

"Best leave now or you'll be late for the ceremony." He said happily.

At the beginning of every school year, the school throws a ceremony where they welcome students and showcase the clubs. Of course he had to go with the Art club. He grabbed his bag and his keys before turning back to his father.

"I'll see you later pops. Have a good day." He said before walking out.

"You to. Give them hell!"

Kirk closed the door and walked to his car. The black 1967 mustang seemed to call to him as he unlocked the beauty and drove off. He made his way to the apartment complex Mac called home. Foster's Home for Rent. Odd name but whatever. He sent a quick text to Mac and took the moment to look at the sky. It was overcast, like always (thanks Seattle), but he enjoyed it. It was calming and oddly comforting. He enjoyed the moment for all that it's worth and smiled. He looked over and saw his friend walk out of the building and towards the car.

"Hey Kirk." Mac greeted with a piece of toast in his mouth.

"Morning Mac. Watch the seats." He joked.

Mac laughed a bit and buckled in before finishing off his toast. As they drove through the city to get to school, they chatted about summer and jammed to some music that Kirk had.

"So, how's the new batch of characters coming along?" Kirk asked.

Mac smiled widely as he went on about what he was working on. Last year he was hired by a cartoon company to create a show based around his characters. It was a booming success and the network ordered two more seasons so Mac was hard at work for character designs. He even showed Kirk some of the sketches he had worked on the night before. Kirk was proud of his friend. He was doing what made him happy. They finally pulled up to the school and spotted their other friend sitting on his car looking through his phone.

"Jack is back." Kirk joked.

Jack turned around and smiled to his friends.

"Hello. Good Morning." He greeted.

The three chatted a bit before Jack looked at his phone and told them to start heading to the event hall. The trio walked down the hallways of their school and marveled at the decorations that filled it's walls. The student council had really outdone themselves. A Kirk looked around the halls he felt a pair of hands wrap around his neck pulling him back slightly. His friends watched with smiles as two more joined them.

"Guess who?!" The cheery voice sang.

Kirk smiled as he freed himself from the girl's grip and spun around so he was now holding her.

"Is it Princess Ilana herself here to grace me with her presence?" He joked.

The blonde girl giggled at the otherwise dumb joke while Kirk took the time to say hello to the other two.

"Hey Lance, hello Octus. Digging the new hair cut man."

Lance nodded his head as his own greeting while Octus waved his hand in a very robotic way.

"Hello friend Kirk. It is good to see you. Also to friend Jack and Mac." He said in his usual monotone voice.

Kirk looked back to the girl in his arms and planted a kiss on her head.

"So you three going to the ceremony?" Mac asked.

Lance sighed.

"Sadly. Ilana and Octus have to go cause student council but they insist I go to. I rather just use the extra time to practice." Lance complained.

"Same here. I don't even need to be there if Kirk is presenting. I'm just standing there smiling the entire time." Mac agreed.

Ilana just seemed annoyed.

"Shouldn't you two want to go for the fact that you're supporting your friends?" She asked.

Everyone looked at each other but said nothing.

"You guys suck." She pouted as she buried her head into Kirk's chest.

Kirk held the girl as everyone stood off to the side and chatted. The halls weren't too full since everyone was making their way to the event hall but they still had enough time to chat. Kirk smiled to himself as he recalled meeting the trio. He had bumped into Lance on accident and the whole thing almost escalated into a fight but Ilana intervene and introduced herself as the person who was supposed to show him around. As time went on, Kirk and Lance eventually became good friends yet playful rivals while Ilana and Kirk started dating during the summer between sophomore and junior year. Octus was an odd ball on his own but Kirk was already use to it by now and even helped him out by filling in for one of his teammates during a knowledge bowl. He still remembers meeting their dad for the first time. That was tense. and weird.

"Maybe someone will try to rob a bank during it so we can bail." Lance joked.

"Dibs!" Everyone, minus Mac and Octus, called out.

Ilana and Lance's dad was Octus. Well, not really. As a matter of fact, not everyone is who they seem. Take Jack for example. He's from the future where he fights demons. Mac? He the "guy in the chair". Surely the Ed's are normal. Nope. They design gadgets and weapons for the group. What group? Kirk's group. Well, they don't really have a name. They weren't anything official but they were there, working in the shadows. Lance, Ilana, and Octus were actually aliens from another planet who fight other aliens from other planets. Together they can for a giant robot which currently doesn't have a name. Billy and Mandy are known as the Grim kids. Not because they're grim, no. It's because they have a contract with the Grim Reaper himself and can use his power for whatever they wanted. That vacation? They're exploring a island filled with monsters. That just leaves Kirk. What can he do? Well, he super strong. That's pretty much it. He is just really strong.

Together they form a group of vigilantes who fight crime before it can turn into something threatening. Sometimes, they can even stop aliens from touching earth. No one knew of them, no one knew of what they did. Their best friends are the shadows.

"We should get going. The ceremony will start soon." Jack decided.

Everyone agreed yet everyone also hoped for a bank robbery.  
\------  
"Is it just me or did that ceremony drag on forever?" Mac asked.

"No, it went on for 5 more minutes than last year. Principle Turner really likes to hear himself talk." Lance complained.

Currently, Mac and Lance where walking with Kirk to their first class of the day, history. Luckily this was the easiest subject for mac and Kirk. Unluckily, Lance struggled in it thanks to him not even being from earth. The trio talk about nothing in peculiar while freshmen watched them walk by. The boys were in awe and the girl fantasized. They finally reached their class and took their seats while they waited for class to start.

"Hey, did you guys see the news this morning?" Lance asked.

"Yeah. The stocks are real interesting." Mac said rolling his eyes.

Lance punched his arm and brought out his phone.

"No smart ass. This." He said showing the screen to the two others.

The X-Team had taken down another villain. Kirk thought back on the news feed he saw briefly that morning. Mac looked at the picture and immediately fanboyed.

"The Power Puff Girls are so cute! Man, what i would give to go on a date with one." He said as he began to stare off into space.

Both boys smacked the back of his head to snap him out of his thoughts.

"Not them. Look at what they took down." Lance said annoyed.

The two boys looked at the picture once again and Kirk noticed it's odd features.

"An alien? That's like what you guys fight right?" He asked.

Lance nodded.

"Not a bounty hunter but that means there's aliens landing in more places than just Washington." Lance pointed out.

Kirk rubbed his chin in thought. That could be bad news if it were true. Monsters are one thing, they are attracted to the X-Team, but aliens were a completely different issue. They typically follow the siblings with some evil king dude wanting to kill them. Yeah he still wasn't entirely sure about the entire story but that's not the point. The point is, if aliens are landing on earth for some other reason, they have to be prepared.

"You think we should contact them?" Mac asked.

Kirk raised an eyebrow.

"You want to contact the aliens?" He questioned unimpressed.

Mac shook his head.

"No, The X-Tea...."

"Nope! They're out of the question. That's the rule." Lance pointed out.

There wasn't many rules in their group. Don't get caught, don't reveal your identity, never leave someone behind, no X-Team. Simple. Kirk laughed a bit when he remembered how Jack made those rules with Ilana's help.

"But, they might be able to help." Mac argued.

"So if they defeat a demon we should call them cause it's Jack's thing? Not happening Mac." Lance countered.

"You're not the leader. I say we ask him."

"Fine."

"Fine."

Kirk was staring off into space thinking before realizing the two were looking at him. He put his hands up defensively.

"Since when am I the leader?" He asked.

"Since you formed this group." They both said.

Kirk sighed. That was true. He was the one who found Jack and befriended him after helping him slay a demon. He was also the one who bailed the Eds out of trouble after one of their experiments went crazy. And of course he did save the siblings when they were battling a space monster. Oh yeah and that time he caught Billy and Mandy taking to Grim. Damn. He was just at the wrong place at the right time. He shook his head and made his choice.

"No X-Team. It's one of the rules. Besides we can handle it our own." He decided.

Mac sighed in defeat while Lance smirked. Kirk rolled his eyes. Summer was mostly peaceful since there wasn't much threats but they did still have a problem here and there. Like when Kirk and Ilana were enjoying a nice date before a demon showed up and Kirk had to help Jack. Or when a alien showed up and tried to eat the school. Ok maybe not peaceful but compared to when they first started. Class began and Kirk turned his attention to the teacher, ready to start the day.  
\---------  
Meanwhile in Townsville:

After yet another victory, the X-Team returned home and dressed for their first day of school. To say thing were hectic would be a understatement. The Professor knew that living with 5 teenagers with superpowers would be difficult. He would wake up before them just to get a good three cups of coffee in him to get the day started before going to the couch. He thanked god when the mayor called and they all left to fight the monster or demon or whatever the day had planned. When they returned they had about an hour to get ready for school which lead to a lot of slamming, banging, and crashing upstairs.

"Outta my way dork!"

"Watch it bug eyes!"

"Where's my hair-clip?!"

"I swear to god, when I find out which one of you took my bow I WILL END YOU!"

"WHO TOUCHED MY HAT?!"

The Professor sighed as he got to work making breakfast. Upstairs everyone began to bicker about whatever they could. Boomer was picking up his glasses that Buttercup had knocked off during her rush to the bathroom which was currently occupied by Bubbles trying to find her hair-clip while next door Brick and Blossom fought about their hat/bow missing. Everyone was fighting. This was a typical day at the Utonium household. Boomer and Buttercup were now in each other's faces yelling before Buttercup pushed the blonde back causing him to trip back onto a door that had been closed for well over 2 years. Butch's room. Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked inside. It looked exactly the same as it did when he left. They all looked at each other before apologizing to each other and going about their business.

"It's been 2 years." Boomer sighed as he went to his room to grab the last of his things.

Brick was possibly the only one who was mad rather than sad. His brother, his own brother, abandoned the team. Of course that was right after he beat them. They were his own family and he just up and left. Why? Cause he didn't want to fight? Cause people died? A lot more would have perished if they didn't do anything. Now it was just the 5 of them to fight these monsters and whatever else is thrown at them. He shook his head in frustration, something Blossom noticed. She was upset at Butch's departure but at the same time, she wishes she could find him and apologize. She had noticed for years that he was unhappy and that while the rest of them had the opportunity to do other things, he was always stuck. As leader, she did nothing about it. Bubbles felt the same way. She felt like it was her fault that Butch left. They had put so much responsibility on him because they weren't strong enough. Butch was the heavy hitter and they never worked to change that.

No one was as affected by his disappearance more than Buttercup. She had to watch his eyes fill with pain but never able to deal with it. After the battle that broke him, she finally realized why he was so torn. He had a responsibility to be the first one on the battlefield and he had to watch the city around be destroyed. He never got to go and do anything on his spare time because he never had any. It was their fault. She regretted picking on him and teasing him when he would let even the tinniest amount of pain sneak by. She didn't know just how bad he was hurting.

They finally made their way downstairs and ate breakfast in silence. The Professor noticed this but said nothing. He knew what had gotten them down but he didn't say anything. It wasn't his place to. As a father he felt that he failed. It was true that the boys were not his children but he took them in and accepted the responsibility. Now one was gone, and he felt he knew why. He knew where he was, thanks to a invention he had created and HIM giving him a rather threatening phone call to never speak to the boy, but never said anything to the team. He knew they would want to go after him, drag him back. He decided that Butch was happier with HIM.

And he was right.


	3. Chapter 2: A Family of Misfits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk and Jack look into a power surge. The X-Team learn of a secret.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another one

Flapjacks was the local hangout for teens in high school. A place to meet up after school had ended and you didn't want to go home. People would have dates there or just go there for the amazing food that the chief K'nuckles would make. Plus their milkshakes were to die for. This is where you could also find the merry band of misfits we call our heroes. Kirk sat next to Ilana as they shared a chocolate milkshake while they listened to their friends go back and forth about random, stupid things.

"Batman would totally kick Superman's ass!" Ed argued.

Lance shook his head.

"Superman is pretty much a god dude. There's no way he would be beat by some guy with a bunch of money." He argued.

Kirk then turned to see Edd and Mac discussing the science project they got partnered up for. The two smart ones get paired up. Totally fair. And a project on the first day? Assholes. Ilana offered to give them some alien tech but the refused since they need a essay explaining how it works. Jack was chatting with Octus about philosophy and Eddy was reading comics. Billy had even called earlier just to check up on the group. He reported his findings and Mac wrote them down in his journal to put them into the computer later. This was a normal thing the group. The calm before the storm as Jack put it. This was the time after school and before the fighting that they got to relax and enjoy themselves. If they were lucky, they might not even have to fight. Unfortunately luck wasn't on their side today. Mac looked down at his phone and sighed.

"There's an energy surge near Pike Place." He reported.

The fighters all looked at each other as Ed got up to grab straws. He returned and held them out to everyone as they grabbed them one by one. Kirk, Ilana, Lance, Jack, and Octus. They opened their hands to see that Kirk and Jack got the shortest two. Everyone else cheered while Jack and Kirk groaned. Ilana gave Kirk a kiss on the cheek.

"Good luck hero." She teased.

Kirk just grinned.

"If I win do I get a reward?" He playfully asked.

Ilana leaned in and whispered something to him which caused him to blush as he was not expecting her to say or do anything with his comment. No one else seemed to notice. Jack stood up and signaled for Kirk to follow. Kirk tossed Mac his car keys and they were off. They had a plan for everything, almost everything. In both Jack's and Kirk's cars they had a bag with their equipment. Of course Jack only had one sword but he always worked around it. They drove to an alleyway close to the surges and got ready.

Jack wore a white robe and tied his hair into a bun on top. He slid out of his shoes to wear wooden sandals and finished it off with his oni mask. The Samurai was his nickname. He wielded the sword that he claims was powerful enough to defeat even the strongest demons. Kirk simply wore a black long coat and a bandanna with his hood up. They were high school students with a limited budget. Of course they wouldn't have nice gear. As they began their track towards the surges, they fail to notice the pair of eyes watching them.  
\------  
"So, we're really doing this?"

Boomer seemed unsure of the idea. Blossom had just sat them all down and told them that they were going to go find Butch and bring him back. Everyone seemed on board but honestly, no one knew what to say. They all had their own reasons to find him but things didn't exactly end on a good note. Added to that, they didn't even know where he was. They had no way to find him or even track him. Sure there is the tingles but on Buttercup could feel them and she had to be close to him which could take a long time. They had to think of something quick. They wanted their teammate back.

"We need a plan of action. We can't just sit around anymore. We have to find him." Blossom declared.

Once again, everyone agreed. No one said anything. Buttercup began to think about it. What would they do if they even found him? What reason would they have to get him back? Would he even go back? The thought of seeing him made it worth it to her. Just the chance to talk to him again. She wanted to. She needed to. It physically started to hurt when she would think about it. Just one chance. That's all she wanted.

"I advise against it."

Everyone turned to see the Professor standing in the doorway. He had aged greatly since they were five. He seemed much more tired and his hair was practically gone. His beard even grew in fully.

"What do you mean?" Bubbles asked.

The professor walked into the room and looked at the teenagers sitting around. They had grown so much. The girl have since matured while the boys now looked like men. All gorgeous in their own right. Blossom's hair was much longer, Bubbles stopped wearing her's in pigtails, Buttercup's went to her shoulders, Brick refused to get a hair cut, and Boomer's was now curly and reached to his neck. If they weren't heroes, they would be models. He was very proud of each and everyone one of them. They had done great things. Which was why he couldn't let them throw it away.

"He simply doesn't wish to be found. If he did, he would come back here." He observed.

The team did agree with that. They didn't want to force him back but they at least wanted to apologize.'

"We want to see him. Talk to him. That's all." Boomer stated.

"He's our brother." Brick added.

"And our friend." Bubbles concluded.

Professor looked around once more and saw the dedication each of them had. They weren't going to give up. This was the moment in his life where he would have to make a choice. One that could change everything.  
\-----  
"I'm not seeing anything. What about you Jack?"

"Nothing. Checking the east now." Jack radioed.

Kirk looked once more from his position before heading west. They had been looking for a good half hour yet have seen nothing. Mac reported that the surges were still there so they chose to keep looking despite not finding anything out of the ordinary. Or what was ordinary for Seattle. Kirk finally landed down into an alleyway where he peeked out to see if there was something in the crowd. Nothing but tourist and bloggers. He sighed before he felt something brush against his leg. He looked down to see a dog. A pink dog. With black spots.

"Hey boy." Kirk greeted.

He bent down to pet it which the dog seemed to welcome. It seemed scared for some reason. As Kirk petted the small dog, he managed to catch a glimpse at it's name tag.

"Courage huh? Cute name. You a brave dog?" He talked to it.

"Are you talking to a dog?" Jack asked.

Kirk looked over his shoulder at Jack who was standing there with his arms crossed. Kirk shrugged and continued to pet the dog before he got up and began to walk away. It stopped and seemed to signal the two to follow it. Kirk looked to Jack who shook his head.

"He might know where it is." Kirk suggested.

Jack gave in and the duo followed the dog through the alley. As they walked, Jack began to get a bad feeling brewing in his gut. Almost as if something was going to happen at any moment. They finally reached a warehouse where the dog hid behind Kirk's leg. Kirk looked to Jack who continued forward before facing the metal door.

"Looks like it's locked." Kirk observed.

Jack pulled his sword out ever so slightly before placing it back into it's place. The door then fell apart. For anyone, Jack just stood there. For Kirk, Jack had slashed the door at supersonic speeds. The two continued before Courage began to bark. The two stopped and looked at the dog who was shaking. Kirk picked it up and smiled.

"We got you." He promised.

The two continued inside where the only light was from the windows from the roof. It seemed to be a storage warehouse of shorts. Nothing out of the ordinary. At least, if you don't count the hideous looking demon in the middle of it. The one eating a random worker. As it chewed on what was left of the man, Jack and Kirk hid. Kirk peeked out and watched in anger as the demon fed. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was actually a shark of some short. Damn lighting. He looked to Jack and nodded. Jack nodded back as he stepped out of his place and cleared his throat. The demon looked back and spotted Jack.

"AgHhagAhgah!"

The demon dropped the fish and dashed to Jack who dodged it's attack. He brought his sword down onto the beast easily cutting it in half. Kirk emerged from his place, Courage now in his hood safe.

"Well, that was easy." He smirked.

Suddenly the warehouse was filled with screams.

"You just had to say something.' Jack groaned.

Suddenly, even more demons appeared. Seems liked this warehouse was actually a nest. A large one. With a lot of demons. Kirk took up a fighting stance while Jack prepared himself for the fight to come. The demons began to leap so Kirk did the same. He used his strength to push off the ground and launch himself into a group of demons. He quickly delivered a storm of punches with his strength that left them dead where they stood. He jumped to the wall and once again launched himself at yet another group. Jack stood in the middle of the warehouse and cut down any demon that came his way. Between everyone on the team, these two were unstoppable when they worked together. With Jack's amazing swordsmanship and Kirk's strength, no one could beat them. Kirk continued to leap around and smash whoever was unfortunate to get in his way, all with a smile on his face. Courage just buried himself deeper into Kirk's hood. Jack stabbed down into a demon before launching him towards yet another. He quickly turned around just in time to cut down another. Kirk grabbed onto the railing and pulled himself up to flip back so he could slam down on a stray. He then turned and ran to another, smashing it's head against a create.

As their numbers began to decrease, the demons began to grow desperate. They used each other as shields to get closer but Kirk's punches would just break through or Jack would cut them both down. This was the thrill of a fight. Kirk finally landed, breathing heavily, while Jack cleaned his blade on his robe and placed it back to his belt. They stood in the middle of the room and looked around at the now dead demons. They both smiled and gave each other a high five. This celebration was cut short, however, when Kirk felt something. Something odd. A sensation he hasn't felt in years.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked.

Before Kirk could answer, they heard footsteps.  
\-------  
The Professor gave in and told them where Butch was. The team wasted no time preparing for the trip. They packed immediately while the Professor wondered if it was the right choice. Boomer was jumping over the moon at the idea of seeing his brother. Buttercup felt the same way though she refused to show it. Brick was mad yet grateful. Everyone was mad at the Professor but knew why he chose to keep it a secret. Now they were on their way to Seattle in order to find Butch. They unloaded their luggage at the temporary home they were renting and began their search. It was then that they felt the strong surge and followed it. They recognized it as demons and were ready for a fight. They ended up at a warehouse when Buttercup felt a tingling sensation. Butch was near.

"Butch is here guys. I can feel him!"

Everyone ran to the warehouse, only to find the dead bodies of the demons. Their blood stained the walls and their bodies littered the floors. There was no signs of Butch. Kirk watched from across the street as his former team searched the warehouse for Butch. Jack placed a hand on his shoulder while Courage watched.

"Come, Kirk. Let's report back." He suggested.

Kirk agreed. Everyone on the team knew he wanted nothing to do with the X-Team. Everyone knew why. Kirk was their friend and in many ways their brother. They would go to war in a matter of seconds for him. They would protect him with their lives. Kirk knew this and was thankful. As long as the X-children stayed away from him, he would be fine. He followed Jack with Courage as the trio made their way back to base. Meanwhile, Buttercup felt that tingle vanish.


	4. Chapter 3: A Well Deserved Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk and Ilana get alone time. X-Team continues their search for Butch where they meet a child genius. Trouble brews in a dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Number 4 let's go

Kirk woke up once again and thanked whoever was responsible that it was a Saturday. The day where there was no school, no homework, no problems. He could just spend the entire day in bed and not do a single thing. Courage liked the idea as well. He was sleeping on the foot of the bed peacefully. Until the door swung open and Mr. Myers walked in.

"Heya Champ! Your girlfriend is here! Treat her well!" He announced as he lifted Ilana up and placed her into the room before rushing off.

Kirk lifted his head and grunted to greet her before dropping his head back onto the pillow. Courage got excited at the sight of her and Ilana took the time to pet him while looking at her beau who was still laying there. She took a seat on the edge of the bed and poked his face. Kirk groaned so she did it again. He didn't move so she lean forward and planted a kiss on his cheek which got some reaction. She did it again before biting his ear which caused him to flip around and drag her down onto the bed with him. She laughed as he held her in place at his side while he still didn't close his eyes.

"Kirk, are you awake?" She playfully asked.

"No." He lied.

She leaned forward and kissed his head.

"How about now?" She asked.

Kirk shook his head so she kissed his cheek.

"Now?"

Kirk didn't answer. Ilana leaned forward and placed a quick peck on his lips.

"And now?"

Kirk opened one eye and smiled. He pulled her in for a longer kiss before sitting up and stretching. Ilana watched the shirtless boy as his muscles flexed.

"Enjoying the show?" Kirk asked.

Ilana just nodded before Kirk stood up and made his way to his closet to pull on a fresh shirt and some jeans. He had almost forgotten, it was date day. He already missed last weeks thanks to that stupid demon nest so he had promised to make it up to her today. And he intended to. She also stated that she never gave him the reward he was promised. This was going to be the best date ever. After the nest incident, everyone has been on high alert with the X-Team around. Kirk knew that they could sense the surges that they need Mac to find so they have been out of a job for a few days. They were enjoying their nice little break but it was still hard to relax with the X Children hanging around. Kirk looked at Courage who was already asleep. It turns out, his owners had passed away and he had been on his own for around a month. He came from some small farm in the middle of nowhere.

Kirk grabbed his keys and freshen up in the bathroom before saying goodbye to his father and getting into his car followed by Ilana. They already had the day planned out and they rocked out to some Taylor Swift CDs Ilana had stashed in his glove-box. Kirk just gave a moment of his time to appreciate what he had gained since he moved to this city two years ago.  
\-------  
Across town, Brick and Bubbles roamed the streets looking for a certain person they had heard so much about. Since they arrived the Professor had insisted they visit his collage who lived in the area. They were looking for a Dexter and they had an address. They finally arrived at the house and were mildly confused. It was simple house. Just a white home with a red door. Nothing out of the ordinary. The two walked up to the door and rung the door bell. As they waited, Bubbles turned to Brick.

"You really think this guy can help us?" She asked.

Brick just nodded. He hoped that this wasn't just a wild goose chase the Professor sent them on. If this Dexter person couldn't help them, there'll be hell to pay. Suddenly the door opened to show a woman standing there. She wore dark green sweats, a light green button up, and yellow kitchen gloves. Her red hair was done up and she seemed to be wearing red lipstick.

"Hello. Can I help you?" She asked.

Bubbles and Brick looked at each other.

"Uh, we're looking for Dexter." Bubbles answered.

The woman looked surprised.

"Oh. You must be his friends from school. Come on in, i'll go get him." She said with a smile.

The two entered the house now even more confused. Friends from school? If this guy was one of the Professor's friends, he had to be 50 or something. Then again, the woman didn't look that old. She looked at most 30 at least 27. Brick admitted that she was indeed attractive for her age. They took a seat on the couch as the TV played the news. As they sat there they tried to piece together what they already knew. Butch is in Seattle, he was last known to be with HIM, he was still fighting evil, he was near Buttercup a week ago but left. He was still here but no one has seen any green streaks in the sky or any lazer blasting. There were rumors of a small band of heroes fighting off aliens and monsters however. They knew of a samurai, a transparent robot, another bigger robot, a smaller golden robot, and extremely strong hooded fighter. The last one sounded like Butch until many pointed out that he didn't fly, shoot lazers, have any form of energy shield, and strength seemed to be their only power. Even if it was Butch, why was he not fighting with all his strength? And why wasn't he wearing green?

"I'll be right there!"

The duo turned to the stairs to see a short ginger boy approach them. He walked around in front of the TV and held his hands behind his back. He was wearing a white lab coat with black dress pants and purple lab gloves. On his face was very thick glasses.

"If this is who I think it is..." Brick mumbled.

"Hello. The Professor told me you were coming. My name is Dexter and i'm going to help you find your missing puff." The ginger announced.

"Holy hell."  
\--------  
Kirk sat in the booth looking through his phone as he waited for Ilana to return from the bathroom. The diner was empty except for the older couple a few tables down so it was relatively quiet. The news had nothing interesting in it so he instead chose to look through a bunch of memes. None of them really made him laugh but a few got a chuckle outta him. Ilana finally returned and took her seat.

"So, anything happen while I was gone?" She asked.

Kirk showed her a picture of a dog wearing a top hat which she fawned over. She really liked dogs. She took his phone to get a closer look at the lab while he smiled at her. He just enjoyed looking at her and remembering that she was his girlfriend. He took note of every little thing she did from her nose twitching when she was annoyed to her eyes sparkling when they won a fight. He noticed her freckles that spread across her cheeks and her blonde hair that had grown since they started dating. He even noticed that her lipstick was a little darker than normal. She did that on purpose. Ilana looked up to see her boyfriend looking at her and blushed.

"What? Do i have food stuck in my teeth?" She asked as she felt around with her tongue.

Kirk just laughed as he took her hand and placed a gentle kiss on her knuckle. He looked back to her and stared into her brown eyes. She stared back into the beautiful blue and for a moment, they forgot where they were. Then, the bell rang signalling a new costumer which snapped the two out of their thoughts. Ilana just smiled as she finished off her drink and Kirk looked at the new costumers out of curiosity. He then froze in place as fear ran through him. He felt that tingle run through his body before Ilana noticed. She turned around and saw the trio that had just walked in. Buttercup, Blossom, and Boomer asked for a table for three. Ilana took Kirk's hand and the two began to walk out as Kirk pulled his hood up. They managed to get around the table and go the opposite way but Kirk knew they wouldn't get far. The tingle was something Buttercup could feel. And just as he predicted, Buttercup called out to him.

"Butch?!"

Kirk didn't stop and neither did Ilana. That was until he felt a very strong hand grab his shoulder and spin him around. He was now face to face with three of the five x-children. A group he used to be part of.

"Butch its me...oh." Buttercup stopped herself.

Kirk thanked his father for his demon magic. Amazing what two years, a hair cut, a different hair color, and different colored eyes can do.

"Can I help you?" He asked annoyed.

Buttercup backed up and bowed her head.

"Sorry I thought, you were someone I knew." She apologized.

Kirk could've left it at that but he decided to have some fun.

"Well next time you shouldn't grab someone unless you know it's the person you're thinking of." He warned.

Blossom grabbed Buttercup and apologized once again. Ilana gently pulled Kirk's hand and the two left the dinner and went to their next stop. Meanwhile, Buttercup took a seat with her sister and Boomer who looked at her worried.

"What was that all about?" Boomer asked.

Buttercup just crossed her arms and sighed.

"I thought it was him. I felt the tingles again." She explained.

"That wasn't Butch. He didn't look like Butch." Blossom pointed out.

Boomer shrugged.

"It has been two years and apparently he's been around HIM. Maybe it's a demon trick?" He jokey suggested.

Suddenly the three looked at each other and rushed out of the dinner to try and catch the boy but he was long gone. They returned to the table defeated. Buttercup was already beating herself up over the trick but Boomer had something else on his mind.

"Who was that girl he was with? She was pretty cute." He commented.

Buttercup felt the anger grow even more.  
\--------  
The entire movie, Kirk was running everything through his mind. He was frustrated that he was almost caught and even more pissed off that it was on a date day of all days. He couldn't even focus on the movie and he had been waiting to see it for so long. Ilana took notice of this and eventually pulled him away from the theater which earned her some protest. Now they were in her room sitting in silence. Lance was at band practice while Octus was away with his girlfriend Kim. Kirk was still thinking about being so close to the people he once saw as family. In that moment, that final battle flashed through his mind. The bracelet he carried burned his skin under his watch. Ilana watched him mess with the bracelet worried. She reached down and began to play with his hair which she knew would get him to calm down. It did. He was much more relaxed now feeling her fingers run through his hair. He reached up and held onto it before kissing it. She cupped his cheek which he allowed before staring off once more.

"You're tense."

Kirk just nodded. He thought he would never have to deal with the X-Team anymore. No more Powerpuff Girls and no more Rowdyruff Boys. Those days were behind him yet they just come back out of nowhere. He felt his chin be lifted as Ilana kissed him. It was short yet sweet moment that he wished continued.

"I still owe you that promise." Ilana teased.

Kirk smiled as he stood up and joined her on her bed. He held her close as he gave her another kiss. One that would last a while.  
\--------  
Bubbles and Brick sat in their temporary home as Dexter messed around with some gadget he had brought with him. Science never waits he said. What a nerd Brick responded. Bubbles had just elbowed him before they left. Dexter had explained that he would wait for everyone to show up before explaining how they would find Butch much to Brick's annoyance It was about an hour before the three returned from breakfast and he took note of their anger.

"The hell happened to you?" He asked.

Buttercup threw her jacket across the room.

"We saw Butch! That's what's wrong!"

Brick stood up while Bubbles stayed seated.

"Really? Where?" She asked.

"At the diner we went to. He has a disguise, probably from HIM." Blossom explained.

'And he had a babe with him." Boomer added with a laugh before getting a shoe thrown at him.

Brick looked down and swallow the urge to yell. They saw Butch and he has allies here. Great.

"To think, I talked to him and I didn't even know." Buttercup mumbled.

This got Bubbles to stand.

"You talked to him?!" She asked.

Blossom nodded before noticing Dexter sitting on the recliner.

"Who's that kid?" She asked pointing at the ginger.

Brick and Bubbles explained he was Dexter, Professors "friend". The three took their seats as Dexter looked at all of them. He cleared his throat and went back to fixing the tablet in his hands. Brick got his attention and signaled for him to talk to which he was greeted with a finger. Dexter kept working before handing the tablet to Bubbles who looked at it confused.

"What's this?" She asked.

"That's how you will find your friend. The Professor sent me some of his blood and I managed to turn it into a code that you can track. He will appear on the screen when you open that app." Dexter explained.

Bubbles immediately opened the application and looked at the map. Everyone was surprised when they saw his marker just down the street.

"What do we do?" Boomer asked.

Brick was about to answer but Blossom stopped him.

"We watch and wait. He may still be with that girl and if the rumors are true about this super hero team, she may be with them. I've been thinking about it but I think Butch is the hooded fighter. He's the only one who could fit the description. Him not using green could be for his cover so he won't be found out. I don't know why he doesn't use his powers though or why he is still fighting but he has to be the guy. On top of that, if he really is the hooded figure, that girl may be part of the team. Since she's a female i'm guessing she's one of those robotic ones. The golden one is my guess." She deduced.

Brick gave it some though and it made sense for the most part. Maybe she was onto something. Buttercup was still angry, just for a different reason. If he was with that girl, they were in the house, together. Her blood was boiling and she was now itching for a fight.

"It's settled. We wait until he's on his own then we confront him. Keep an eye on that map Bubbles." Brick ordered.

Bubbles nodded as she looked at the tablet. Boomer was now excited. He may get to see his brother after all. Meanwhile, Kirk was unaware that his greatest foes were just a few houses away from him and his lover.


	5. Chapter 4: A Family Feud

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kirk's past catches up with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Braaaaaahahahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahah

It was late when Lance and Octus returned home and were greeted by Kirk and Ilana watching some sappy romance movie on the couch. They all greeted each other before Kirk looked at his watch and saw the time. He didn't want to leave but he also didn't want to be dead tired if he needed to fight, again. He would never live down the sleep accident of July. Never. He sighed and planted a kiss on Ilana's temple before pulling himself up.

"Are you going?" She asked.

Kirk nodded as he yawned. He was so comfortable. Maybe he could stay an extra hour or...

"Dinner will be ready soon." Octus announced.

Nonononononono. Now was a good time to leave before he was feed some alien thing that he didn't even want to try to stomach.

"Alright. Be safe and get some sleep hun." Ilana laughed.

The two kissed and said their goodbyes before Kirk gathered his stuff and said one last farewell. He finally made it outside and unlocked his car deciding on going home. As he drove he turned the music down low and rolled down his window. He enjoyed the cool night air and the silence that came with it. The street lights passed as he sped up with a smile on his face. He turned the volume up full blast and began to listen to the rock that was playing. The perfect job for tearing up the streets of Seattle. That is, until he noticed something in his mirror. A figure in the sky behind him. Following him. His smile disappeared when he noticed two more on his left. He returned his gaze to the road in front of him where he spotted a sign. Gas Works Park. He took the turn and drove a while before parking. He got out of the car and popped his trunk. He grabbed his gear and walked to the middle of the field. He stood there and waited.  
\------  
"What is he doing?" Brick asked.

Boomer looked back to the figure in the field.

"Standing. He's alone." He reported.

Brick signaled for everyone else to follow as they landed in the field near Butch. He was just standing there with his eyes close. His head was facing upwards as if he was looking at the sky as he hummed a song. Everyone looked at each other as they realized that it was Butch who stood there before them. The man who went missing two years ago after he beat them and left the X-Team. The former Rowdyruff Boy, the brother, the partner. They were mere feet away yet no one moved.

"What are you doing here?"

Everyone flinched at the voice. Butch turned around to show his masked face. His eyes were filled with anger. He took a step towards them before stopping. No one moved after that. They just stared. Butch took the time to look at all of them. They have grown so much. His eyes stopped on Buttercup when he felt the tingle. He always did hate that feeling. It always made him want to go wild. Made him want to break something. Brick stepped forward.

"Butch..."

"My name isn't Butch." Kirk snapped.

Brick stepped back before Blossom continued.

"We're here to take you back. We want to apologize. We, miss you." Blossom said.

Kirk snared but no one saw.

"Great idea. We can all go back to being one big happy family! We can all play and joke and laugh and enjoy life! Oh, wait. That's just what you guys can do. I get to sit on the couch and wait to be called to fight some monster. Oh I know! We can play "find the survivors"! I love that game. Were we all look for anyone trapped under the rubble of the city. Oh, we don't do that either. Silly me." He laughed.

Everyone felt the sting. They knew Butch didn't really try to hurt them but it was effective nonetheless.

"Look, we're sorry. We never took your feelings into consideration. We messed up." Boomer apologized.

Butch shook his head. He seemed annoyed.  
\------  
Kirk was beyond annoyed. They just weren't getting it.

"Look, i'm happy here. I have a life here." He tried to explain.

"What about everyone waiting for you at Townsville? What about your life as a hero back home?" Bubbles asked.

"You really don't see what i'm trying to say do you?" Kirk asked.

Bubbles seemed to coward down.

"I'm, Happy. I have the life I want here. I'm not going back." He stated.

Buttercup had enough. She marched forward and grabbed his collar lifting him up. Everyone stepped forward in case something happened. What they didn't see was Kirk click something on his key ring.

"You're being selfish! People need you and you just want to stay here in lala land while those people suffer?!" She yelled.

Kirk just grinned.

"Put me down. Or I will make you regret it." He threatened.

Everyone now got into their fighting stances. He wasn't a threat.

"You won't even use your powers. We've fought everyday for the last two years. You can't beat me let alone all of us." She pointed out.

Kirk's smile was wide enough to be seen through the mask.

"Bet?"

Suddenly Buttercup was met with a swift kick to the face that sent her flying across the field. Kirk landed on his feet and began to unzip his jacket. Everyone watched as he dropped the coat to reveal him in a grey tank-top and how much muscle he had developed over the years. His hair flew freely now and the mask flew away with the jacket. The disguise was gone now. Boomer's eyes grew wide.

"T-that's.."

Brick gulped.

"Yeah. No doubt about it. That's Butch."

Kirk shook his head.

"I'm not Butch." He mumbled.

He heard the sound barrier break and quickly leaned back to avoid the hit that was coming from his side. Buttercup gritted her teeth as she tried to turn her body for a second hit but was only greeted by a punch in the gut which sent her flying into the sky. Boomer shot off his heat vision at his brother who simply delivered a backhand which broke the lazer to nothingness. Boomer stepped back but Kirk kicked off the ground and, withing a matter of milliseconds, was by his brother delivering a hard elbow to the face which sent him flying back. Kirk kicked off the ground again to follow and gave another punch to the face, and another, and another. The remaining three watched as a large cloud of dust suddenly appeared in the distance before a figure leaped into the air towards them. Kirk grab a hold of Brick's face before using the momentum to slam him into the ground. Blossom stepped in front of her sister as Kirk stood back up. He walked towards them but stopped when Brick flew up. He was now hovering in the sky waiting for his opponent. Kirk simply looked at him.

'Why isn't he flying towards me?' was what ran through Brick's mind. Kirk just reached down and grabbed a large chunk of the earth before flinging it towards his brother. Brick punch the dirt, breaking it, but temporarily blinded himself which Kirk used. He kicked off the ground and clothe-lined the red dressed teen sending him back to the ground. Blossom dashed toward Kirk who moved his head to the left slightly and caught her wrist. He then elbowed her gut and flung her over his shoulder. He smiled as Buttercup finally came back into view. He leaped up and kicked her unconscious body towards the last puff which knocked her out of the battle as well. Boomer flew at supersonic speeds and swung his energy bat at him. Kirk dodged every blow at amazing speeds before delivering his own series of punches, each one landed. One after the other with in a manner of seconds. He finally let up and watched as his little brother dropped to the ground, unable to fight.

Brick stood back up but quickly threw up some blood shocking him.

"Just how strong, is he?" He asked himself.

Kirk just smiled.

"While you all were playing hero with those monsters, I've been fighting some real threats. That battle two years ago has nothing on some of the stuff I deal with weekly. Aliens, demons, other super powered people. I deal with them all. I turned my pain and suffering into strength, something none of you ever had to. You all making me suffer in silence was probably the best thing to happen to me. You know what else lead to this? You all rely on your powers to much. That Chemical X in you made you weaker than you know. I forsake those powers and used the strength and speed I gathered through training. I learned to get creative. I learned to fight rather than just throw a punch and hope it lands. The things you do are child's play compare to me and my team. I warned you to stay away."

From the sky came four figures. Lance, Ilana, Octus, and Jack who was being carried by Lance. They landed and took up their own fighting stances. The X-Team got back up, weak and defeated.

"I'm not going back. If you try to drag me to that shithole, I will kill you." Kirk warned.

The X-Team gathered themselves and quickly flew away. Kirk looked at the ground and sighed. he then turned back to his team who let out breaths of relief.

"I thought we would have to fight them." Lance smiled.

Ilana changed out of her robot form and embraced Kirk.

"I told you to be safe." She pouted.

"Sorry. I got a bit carried away there." Kirk apologized.

Jack looked around them to see the various craters that now littered the park.

"We should go." He decided.

Everyone looked around and agreed. Ilana decided that he would stay at their home in case the X-Team decided to come back. Kirk agreed after calling his father to let him know the situation. That night, as he laid with Ilana, he thought back on his brothers and former teammates. He felt no guilt from the battle.


	6. Chapter 5: School Days

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of the ambush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeehhhhhhaaaaawwwww

"Butch!"

The raven haired boy looked up with tired eyes only to be greeted with the 7 teens looking at him as if he had grown a second head. The briefing room was a well lot room filled with computers and tech that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else on the world. They were all wearing their uniforms which were similarly designed with a few changes here and there. The uniform's basic structure was a strong leather like fabric the Professor had created to withstand their battles with lining of either red, blue, or green. The girls had skirts while the boys had pants. Butch's personal uniform had his entire right arm dyed green and his collar was popped up on one side due to laziness. His hands were covered with a pair of fingerless gloves much like Buttercup's.

"What?" Butch asked uninterested.

He knew the basics of these meetings. Blah blah monster blah blah bad guy blah blah meeting over. So why was he being looked at?

"Were you even paying attention?" Blossom asked.

Butch just shrugged before returning his attention back to the table. All he needed to know was that he needed to punch something or someone. Most likely something. Honestly what did he have to pay attention to?

"I was telling you that we're heading out of town for a few days so you'll be dealing with business around here until we get back." Blossom repeated.

Oh? Oh. Oh hell no!

"The hell do you mean I'll be dealing with stuff here? Alone?" Butch asked just to make sure he heard that right.

Blossom and Brick nodded. Butch turned to the other two sisters who couldn't be more interested and then to Boomer who looked a bit guilty.

"Why do all 7 of you have to go? Why can't I go?" Butch asked trying to keep calm.

Everyone knew it seemed odd but like always, there was a reason. Like always, Butch was left behind to protect the city. Like always, the people thanked the X-Team. Butch returned home after a long day to find everyone just arriving. Butch was finally relived and simply grunted at their greetings. He walked over to the couch and simply collapsed face first.

Smoke filled his lungs. His eyes shot open only to be greeted with ruin. He could feel the heat of the fire all around him as he struggled to push himself off the ground. He could feel the blood on his arm and slowly dripped from his lips. He looked around to see literal hell on earth. Buildings were destroyed, bodies littered the streets, blood everywhere. In the middle of it all, a vast tear in both space and time. Standing there was the man responsible for it all. Butch reached up and pulled off the metal mask, or what was left of it, to hopefully breath a little better. He was alone. He was always alone.

Then he woke up.

Kirk was beyond exhausted. Both mentally and physically. He ended up staying at the siblings' house for the entire weekend and rushed home to grab some extra clothes for school monday morning. Lance was watching him from the sky and thankfully, no one was following him this time. Kirk threw on whatever he found and explained the situation to his dad more in depth. Mr. Myers was beyond pissed but Kirk managed to calm him down before he could send the earth into the sun.

Luckily, there was no one following and there had yet to be word that either the powerpuff girls or the rowdyruff boys were in Seattle. Sure, reports of dead aliens or demons were common place but people just thought it was the police. Sure he had heard the rumors of the group of vigilantes but he didn't bother to worry. If someone really wanted to come after them, they'll be ready. He had made that clear the other night.

"You ok?"

Kirk looked up to see Lance looking at him. They were in class waiting for the teacher and Kirk must've spaced out. Kirk waved off any concern before looking back to his book. He didn't have much time to finish the reading fom the week before so now was as good as a time to do so. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.

"Alright class, settle down."

Everyone took their seats as Kirk slid the book back into his bag. He happened to look up to see two more kids walk in behind the teacher. They seemed familiar yet he didn't recognize them from anywhere. The boy was short. His brown hair was combed to the side and he wore a Hawaiian shirt over a light blue shirt and a pair of tan pants. The girl was a little taller and had long black hair. Her facial features were soft and freckles were sparkled across her cheeks. She wore a black shirt with some band logo and a pair of jeans.

Where did he know them from?

"Now, I want to introduce you all to two new students who will be joining us for the rest of the year. Nicole Howard and Joshua Hill."

Those names didn't ring any bells.

But the two of them have been following him around all day. It was now 6th period and he had noticed that the two new kids were watching him. Not just them. There was another kid who had joined his math class. A blonde girl who was about Ilana's height and green eyes. She also felt familiar. She wasn't following him around, at least, if she was, he didn't know. Is he getting paranoid?

"They're still there." Mac casually commented from his desk.

Kirk catch the two ducking away from the corner of his eye before letting out a groan. They were still at it. He was at his witts end and he was going to snap. Ed let out a chuckle from his left. He had his legs on his desk with his hands behind his head.

"Calm down man. It can't be that bad." He smirked. "At least one of them is a babe."

Kirk rolled his eyes and looked back again to catch the two staring once more. He had enough. He stood up and walked over to the door with Mac following closely to make sure a fight didn't break out. Ed even smiled as he pulled out a new gadget Double D had been working on.

Joshua peaked around the corner to see if he could spot the target. 

"Where is he?"

Nicole looked over his shoulder and gasped.

"We lost him?!"

"No, we found you."

The two jumped at the voice and turned around to see the three boys standing there. Kirk seemed pissed and even Mac looked annoyed. The two stalkers looked at each other uncertain of what to do. Before anyone could react, there was a new pair of footsteps coming towards them.

"Not even a day in and the two of you were caught."

It was the blonde girl. Kirk finally began to piece it together. They were new, watching him, and he could almost feel a small tingle.

"X-Kids." He mumbled.

The three finally dropped their disguises revealing who they really were. Blossom, Bubbles, and Boomer.

"Shit."


End file.
